Today, I walked all over Old Quebec. I covered 4.52 miles in an hour and 45 minutes, racking up 15,566 steps. My feet officially filed a complaint halfway through, but I kept going. I think I’ve been over 10,000 steps most days, and almost hit 20,000 last Friday. No wonder my shoes are threatening early retirement.
I saw so much during my travels, met lots of interesting people, and passed by more great stores and art galleries than I could count. I picked up some coasters—one with The Scream, one with Girl with a Pearl Earring, one with Starry Night, and one mystery piece I can’t remember the name of. They’re all really cool. I chatted with the shop owner for a while about different museums and told her about two of my favorites, the Frick Collection and the Barnes Foundation. Both are “not-museums” that house incredible private collections. The Barnes Foundation, for instance, has the largest Cézanne collection in the world.
We had a great conversation. She told me about her trip to Florida and how much she loved the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, which I also thought was excellent. My favorite painting there is The Blue Madonna! There are so many museums in that area, including the Dalí and Chihuly museums, which are both fantastic.
The Notre-Dame church was stunning, with beautiful Stations of the Cross paintings and amazing statues. Mass was going on, so I sat for a while, though I’ll admit my French wasn’t quite up to the challenge. I probably nodded at all the wrong moments.
The fort was very cool, and the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac was downright majestic. I ended up having lunch there, which was delicious. The service was top-notch, and everyone was incredibly friendly. The bartender, who was also my server, was exceptional and had that perfect mix of charm and efficiency. Even the woman who came by to refill my water glass was friendly and talkative. The hotel itself was gorgeous, and the backside near the fort offered breathtaking views of the city, the water, and what felt like half of Canada.
Montmorency Falls was absolutely amazing! It might not be as tall as Niagara Falls, but it was so wide and packed quite a punch. What made it even better was how easy it was to reach, I just drove up, walked a couple hundred yards, and boom, there it was! No epic hike required this time.
Once again, I got to see some beautiful, colorful fall trees that made the whole day even better.
I arrived in Maine this evening and will be exploring all around the state tomorrow and a little bit on Saturday. My feet may protest, but my curiosity always wins.
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